agate

a hard semiprecious stone, a variety of chalcedony, with striped or clouded coloring

any of various tools having agate parts, as a burnishing instrument with a tip of agate

a little ball made of this stone or of glass, used in playing marbles

a former small size of printing type, 5 points

Origin of agate

Middle English agaten ; from Old French agate ; from Medieval Latin ; from Classical Latin achates ; from Classical Greek achatēs ; from uncertain or unknown; perhaps

agate

noun

A fine-grained, fibrous variety of chalcedony with colored bands or irregular clouding.

A playing marble made of agate or a glass imitation of it; an aggie.

A tool with agate parts, such as a burnisher tipped with agate.

Printing A type size, about 5 1/2 points.

Origin of agate

Middle English achate, agaten, from Old French acate, agate, alteration (influenced by Greek agathē, good) of Latin achātēs, from Greek akhātēs.

agate

Noun

(countable and uncountable, plural agates)

(countable, uncountable, mineralogy) A semi-pellucid, uncrystallized variety of quartz, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged in stripes or bands, or blended in clouds.

(uncountable, US, printing) 5.5-point size of type, larger than pearl and smaller than nonpareil; in England called ruby.

(countable) A tool used by gold-wire drawers, bookbinders, etc.;—so called from the agate fixed in it for burnishing.